US strikes Iran in retaliation for Apache shoot-down

India's shipping minister said Thursday that three Indian seafarers aboard the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello have been confirmed dead after initially being reported missing following a U.S. military operation tied to enforcement of Washington's blockade on Iran.

"It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello," Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal wrote on X. "Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified."

Sonowal called the deaths "a profound loss to our maritime family" and said the Indian government is working to repatriate surviving crew members and return the bodies of the deceased to their families.

U.S. Central Command previously accused the Settebello of attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of the blockade and said American forces fired into the vessel's engine room to stop it.

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan issued an alert late Wednesday warning that missiles, drones or rockets had been reported in Jordanian airspace.

“Reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace,” the embassy said in a statement.

“Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the statement continued. “Remain indoors and pay attention to local announcements and alerts.”

The Associated Press reported that Iran launched strikes toward Jordan on Wednesday.

The warning came hours after the U.S. military said it had conducted strikes against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites across Iran.

Kuwait announced Wednesday that it had closed its airspace amid ongoing Iranian attacks across the region.

The Associated Press reported that flights were being diverted to alternative airports following the closure.

Earlier Wednesday, Kuwait's military said its air defense systems were intercepting hostile aerial targets and urged the public to follow security and safety instructions issued by government authorities.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg urged the United States to “finish the job” in Iran following a series of military strikes earlier Wednesday.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Kellogg cautioned against a prolonged conflict while arguing that the U.S. should apply overwhelming force to bring the crisis to a conclusion.

“I would reach a point right now, Sean, of saying, ‘We're just done with you guys. We're gonna go in, we're gonna finish the job,’” Kellogg said.

“Having a protracted war is not the American way of war,” he continued. “It's a war we've been conditioned to in the last few decades, where we’ve done things in Afghanistan and Iraq. We ought to go back to the way we did it in World War II and World War I and just finish the job.”

Kellogg went on to argue that the United States should “obliterate” its adversaries' ability to continue fighting and force them back to the negotiating table.

“When you need to come to the table, you want to talk to us, you've got our phone number,” he said. “Right now, we're playing their game, not our game. Let's play our game and force them to come to us.”

Kellogg's comments came after U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces struck multiple targets inside Iran, including air defense systems, surveillance radar sites and command-and-control nodes.

President Donald Trump told Fox News that the United States is prepared to rapidly escalate military action if Tehran does not soon agree to terms aimed at ending the ongoing crisis.

Kuwait's military said Wednesday that its air defense systems were intercepting hostile aerial targets.

The military urged residents to follow security and safety guidance issued by official authorities.

The announcement came after Iranian missile and drone attacks targeted the region Tuesday and into Wednesday.

A commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened a sweeping response if the Strait of Hormuz were destabilized, according to The Times of Israel.

Brig. Gen. Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, warned that Iran would retaliate across the region if the strategic waterway became unsafe.

IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brig. Gen. Majid Mousavi warned that Iran would retaliate across the region if the strategic waterway became unsafe.

“We will bring the region into hell for you from across Iran if you make the sacred Strait of Hormuz unsafe,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media, according to The Times of Israel.

The warning came after U.S. officials dismissed Iranian claims that Tehran had closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying commercial shipping traffic continued to move through the vital waterway

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that the U.S. military struck multiple targets in Iran, including military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites.

“U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The agency said the “self-defense strikes” were in response to Iran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”

“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” CENTCOM said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that it had attacked the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, following a fresh wave of U.S. airstrikes on Tehran, according to The Times of Israel.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that the country has activated its alarm sirens, urging residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe location.

“The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the city,” the IRGC said in a statement quoted by Iranian media, as reported by The Times. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday revealed that top Iranian officials had called him directly to request a halt to U.S. bombing attacks, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

The exchange, which marks a rare and critical moment of direct engagement between Trump and Tehran leadership, came as the president said Washington had delivered “vicious” and “violent” strikes earlier in the day.

The president also told Fox News the U.S. operation involved the deployment of 49 Tomahawk missiles alongside fighter jets targeting radar and air defense systems. The strikes reportedly hammered positions about 40 miles outside Tehran and along Iran’s southwestern coast on the Persian Gulf.

Trump warned that the United States is prepared to rapidly escalate military action if Tehran does not soon sign an agreement to end the ongoing crisis.

“We'll bomb the S— out of them tomorrow,” Trump warned.

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

Iranian media falsely claimed that Tehran's forces had attacked an American warship in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.

“TRUTH: No U.S. warships have been struck,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Tehran had earlier claimed that Iranian and U.S. maritime forces engaged in a confrontation at sea, a claim U.S. officials also denied.

U.S. officials on Wednesday dismissed Iran's claims that Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying commercial traffic continues to move through the strategic waterway.

“Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.

The response came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly announced plans to close the passage following the latest round of U.S. airstrikes.

According to Reuters, Iran's top joint military command said oil tankers and commercial vessels would not be allowed to pass through the strait and warned that any ship attempting to do so would be targeted.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. officials told Fox News on Wednesday that airstrikes against Iranian targets remain ongoing and dismissed Tehran's claims that American and Iranian maritime forces had clashed at sea.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the U.S. Navy did not engage in any skirmishes with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), Iran’s primary maritime force operating in the Strait of Hormuz.

The denial came as the U.S. military launched a fresh round of attacks against Iranian targets, marking a second consecutive night of airstrikes following the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter earlier in the week.

Fox News' Jen Griffin contributed to this report.

Hundreds of people gathered in Lebanon on Wednesday evening for a rally supporting the Iranian regime and its proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah.

The demonstration, which served as a protest against the United States and Israel, erupted in Dahiyeh — a southern suburb of Beirut that is widely considered a Hezbollah stronghold, AFP correspondents reported, according to The Times of Israel.

Photos from the scene showed attendees waving numerous Hezbollah flags and holding portraits of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The event came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Lebanese people to join Israel’s fight against Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.

Britain is moving to give authorities sweeping new powers to target foreign state-linked groups as officials warn of growing threats tied to Iran and other hostile governments.

The National Security (State Threats) Bill introduced Tuesday would give the UK government new powers to crack down on foreign state-linked organizations involved in activities such as assassination plots, surveillance and sabotage. The legislation could potentially be used against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG), though officials have not indicated whether the group would be among the first organizations designated.

The proposal comes as British intelligence officials warn of increasing Iran-backed activity inside the UK. Last year, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said the security service had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots and recorded a 35% increase in state-threat investigations.

Under the legislation, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood would have the authority to designate groups responsible for what the government calls "foreign power threat activity." Supporting designated organizations or accepting money from them could carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.

British authorities have also investigated possible Iranian links to several recent incidents, including arson attacks targeting Jewish sites. The UK has separately secured convictions against individuals accused of spying for or acting on behalf of Russian and Chinese entities.

The bill would create a new framework for tackling threats posed by foreign governments and their proxies, an area critics say Britain's existing counterterrorism laws were not designed to address.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Brittany Miller.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said his department is well prepared to dictate the terms of any potential resolution or peace deal with Iran from a position of strength, as he announced plans to target Tehran “hard” and “strong” in a fresh wave of airstrikes.

“The War Department is prepared to set the terms to ensure that we get the kind of deal President Trump expects,” he said.

“We're in lockstep with the White House, in lockstep with the negotiating team to make sure we set the conditions. And the targets tonight are meant to do that.”

Hegseth added that Iran has been powerless to stop U.S. maritime operations, citing Operation Project Freedom, which officials said recently resulted in the safe passage of millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz under American protection in the middle of the night.

“Let’s just say, this command has used the ceasefire wisely and with great efficiency to ensure that we're refining our intelligence and target sets in a way that are far, far beyond even the beginning of epic fury.”

Sounds of explosions were reported in several areas across Iran, including near the Strait of Hormuz and western Tehran, Mehr News Agency reported, according to The Times of Israel.

The reported blasts came as U.S. officials announced that the military had begun launching a fresh round of attacks against the country at 5:15 p.m. ET.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will strike Iran Wednesday evening, marking a second consecutive night of operations launched by Washington.

“We'll strike them hard tonight and hopefully Iran makes a good decision,” he said.

“We will hit them hard on our terms, on the targets that improve the environment, for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have.”

Hegseth added that, if pressed, the U.S. is prepared to negotiate with weaponry, emphasizing that President Donald Trump is willing to use force if necessary.

“If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs. And we're very good at it. Nobody better in the world,” he said.

“President Trump, he's willing to go back and fight as necessary, but has given Iran an open hand to make this deal. It's right there. They have that chance. They're choosing to play games.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday criticized the Security Council for failing to publicly condemn Hezbollah after it reportedly issued a statement expressing condolences over the death of a U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon.

Danny Danon called the council’s response a “profound failure” in a post on X, arguing the U.N. should have explicitly called out Hezbollah for violating U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, a 2006 measure aimed at ending hostilities between the terrorist group and Israel.

“When a UN peacekeeper dies in southern Lebanon and the Security Council still fails to explicitly condemn Hezbollah for violating Resolution 1701, it reflects a profound failure by the international community,” Danon said.

Danon shared a copy of the U.N. statement regarding the June 4 death of a Serbian United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeper in southern Lebanon.

According to the release, the Security Council condemned the incident, expressed condolences and called for “those responsible for the attack to be held accountable.”

It also urged adherence to the June 3 U.S.-brokered ceasefire, but did not specifically name Hezbollah as responsible for the incident.